Transmission-gear for motor-vehicles.



H. T. HANSEN TRANSMISSION GEAR EOE MOTOR VEHICLES.

rAPPLICATION FILD DEO. 26, 1907.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

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TRANSMISSION-GEAR FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov`. 24, 190s.

Application led December 26, 1907. Serial No. 408,047.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, HANS T. HANSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at 100 in the county of Cook and State of Ilinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Transmission-Gear for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in transmission gear for motor vehicles, and is fully described and explained in the specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the transmission partly-a plan View and partly in horizontal sections; Fig. 2 is a section in the line 2 of Fig..1 showing a shifting arrangement; and

Fig. 3 is a section in the line 3 of Fig. 1.

' Beferrin Yto the drawings A indicates the fly-wheel o a motor, which following a coinmon automobile practice will be an internal4 combustion engine of the compression type. Secured to this fly-wheel and rotatable therewith is a shaft A1 extending rearwardly and having fast on its rear end a pinion B which is one of the side-pinions of an ordinary differential gear. Opposed to thepinion B is a similar pinion C which lis the opposite sidepinion of the dierential gear, the same being rigidly secured on a shaft C1 which is suitably connected up to the driving-wheels of the vehicle. D indicates the casing of the differential gear, and this casing serves as a support for the intermediate pinions of the differential gear which are indicated in the drawing by d. Loose uponthe shaft A1 is a friction-cone E rigidly secured to the casing D of the differential. A clutch-collar F is mounted on the shaft A1 so as to be capable of longitudinal-movement only, the clutchcollar being adapted to lock the friction-cone the shaft when desired. A 1t will be evident that; when the clutch-collar F is thrown into engagement with-the friction-cone E so that the cone and shaft rotate together the transmission will drive direct, the cone, shaft, pinion B and dierential casing all revolving positively together at the same speed. Obviously whenever the pinion B and the casing D are rotated at thei same'speed the pinion C and shaft C1 will be positively driven in the same direction and at the same speed-with .the shaft A1.

A counter-shaft G is mounted parallel to the adjacent surface of the friction-cone E, and keyed to the said counter-shaft is a friction-pinion G1 longitudinally movable but non-rotatable upon the shaft. The' pinion G1 is of the saine diameter as the small end of the cone E. The shaft G is rotated at the same speed with the shaft A1 by means of two mutually-engaging pinions g, g1, these pinions being preferably of 4 the friction type as illustrated. T he shaft G is mounted in spring-pressed journals g2, g1, by which. continuous engagement is at all times maintained between the pinion g, g1 and the pinion G1 and the surface of the friction-cone E. There is, however, provided means by which, when the car is running on direct drive the journal g3 can be shifted backward to release the gear vg1 from its engagement with the gear g and to release the pinion G1 from engagement with thefriction-cone, in order 'that unnecessary rotation of these parts. may be avoided. v

Before proceeding to a detailed account of the means by which the various adjustments hereafter lto be explained are effected, the operation of the gear when not running direct will be set forth. The manner of running with a direct drive has already been set forth. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, however, with the clutch F disengaged from the friction-cone E the car will still be driven at the equivalent speed of a direct,y drive but by friction. In this arrangement the shaft G rotates at the same speed with the shaft A1 but in Van opposite direction and the pinion G1 being of the same size as the small end of the friction-cone E, drives the said cone at the same speed with the shaft A1 and in the same direction. The obvious result is therefore that the gear-ratio is exactly the same as when the clutch engages the friction-cone, that is the pinion B and the gear-case D rotate at the same speed and in the same direction and consequently the shaft C rotates at the same speed with the shaft A1. If now the friction-pinion G1 be shifted to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, the speed of the cone E will be gradually decreased with the result that the speed of the shaft C1 will be gradually decreased. When the pinion G1 reaches a point on the cone of twice the diameter' of said pinion then the cone and casingD will rotate at half the speed of the shaft A1 and the shaft C1 will obviously stand still. A

further movement of the pinion to the right with consequent further slowing of the speed of the cone and casing D will produce backward rotation of the shaft C1 at gradually increasing speed, obviously with the arrangement here shown the shaft C1 can never be made to rotate backwards as fast as it will forwards for backward rotation at .equal speed with the shaft A1 could only be ameter of the pinion, the engine can be started by cranking in the usual way, while the vehicle is stationary. By drawing the pinion to the left, that is forward toward the engine, the1 machine will gradually accelcrate its speed until, when the pinion reaches the point shown in F ig. l, the machine will be moving full speed forward with the shaft C1 turning at .the same speed as the engine. At this time the clutch can be thrown in making a positive drive, and by mechanism now to be described the counter-shaft can be thrown out of engagement with the main shaft so as to reduce the number of moving arts.

The shifting of the pinion G1 is accomplished by means of a fork h having a pin running in a perforation in a rack-bar H, which bar can be moved backwards and forwards by the rotation of a pinion H1. Fast to the pinion H1 is a smaller pinion H2 in mesh with a rack-bar H3 which can be reciprocated by a hand-lever H4. Thus by drawing the hand-lever H4, the rack-bar H.-

will be moved backward at a considerable speed to shift the pinion G1 to reduce the speed of the shaft C1 as aforesaid and by drawing the same forward the rack-bar H can be moved forward to increase the speed of the shaft C1. The rack-bar H is provided with a shoulder h1 adapted t'o engage one end of a lever I of the irstorder, tlie opposite end of said lever being forked to engage the clutch-collar F. The lever I is normally heldin such position as to Vhold the clutch-collar F disengaged from the friction cone E by means of the s ring z'. By thls arrangement an extreme orward movement ofthe hand-lever will automatically force-the clutch F into engagement with the friction-cone E to produce a positive direct drive. Simultaneously with this action the hand-lever H4 will engage a cam 7' on a lever J, which lever has its free end pivoted to an extension J1 on the journal g3 at the forward or left-hand end of the counter-shaft G. Thus at the moment when the clutch-collar is engaged with the friction-cone to produce a direct drive, the journal g3 will be retracted so as to disengage the pinionA g1 from the pinion g, thus stopping the rotation of the counter-shaft G. Thus when the vehicle is driven direct there are no idle parts to be driven. The entire System carried by the shafts A1 and C1 will rotate as one solid piece and no other parts will move at all. The moment it is desired to' reduce the speed of a vehicle the handlever H1 'is drawn backward disengaging the clutch-collar F from the friction-cone E and producing the necessary engagement of pinions g and g1 so that the car is driven by friction and continued movement will reduce the gear-ratio gradually to a point where the shaft D1 will stand still.

I am aware that it .has heretofore been proposed to construct transmission devices in which two of the three members of a dif- 4one to one instead of some different ratio such as exists where the ordinary form of planetary gear comprisingnnternal sparkgear and eXternalsparlr-gar having an 1ntermediate pinion isused. If any other form p of planetary gear be lsubstituted for the differential gear herein shown the operationwill be substantiallythe same .excepting that the point where the driven shaft is stationary will not be the point where the intermediate member of the planetary is moved at half the speed of the driving member but will be some other point/depending upon the gear-ratio used. In devices of the general type wherein different speeds are positively imparted to two ofthe members of 'a planetary gear, two forms of construction are common. In the firsty of these one of the extreme-members of the differential is driven at'a constant speed, the other eXtreme-member is driven at a variable speed vand the power is taken ofi' of the intermediate member. Obviously with this' form of construction the lintermediate member can never reach the speed of the positively driven `member, and as a result 'to drive the car-at a speed equivalent to a direct drive, it becomes necessary to gear up the parts and the extreme gear which has a variable speed must be run with leXtreme velocity inv any event. It has also been proposed to drive both the extreme members of a planetary gear at variable speeds but this arrangement is open to thevsame disadvantages above pointed out. It is impossible to bring the intermediate member from which power is taken up to the speed of the fastest driven pinion and as a result some, vor many parts ceases of the mechanism must run at a speed much greater than the speed of the engine at some time.

It has also been proposed to take power off one extreme member of a planetary gear to drive the intermediate member at a constant speed and to vary the speed of the other side 4or extreme members. This construction produces results analogous to mine, in .that the side-member from which power is taken can be brought up to the speed of the positively driven member and when brought up to that speed a clutch can be thrown in to make a direct drive.V The friction mechanism used to produ-ce the variable speed bein-g simultaneou'sly thrown out. With a device of this character, however, the only way in which it is possible to bring the extreme member from which power is taken up to the speed of the intermediate member which is ositively driven is to drive the member o variable speed at a very much greater speed than the speed of the positively driven member which is connected to the engine. As a result where the intermediate member of the planetary gear is positively driven, direct drive can only be produced by rapid rotation of the parts and when the car is standing still the velocity of the variable speed-member instead of being less than that of the engine is much greater. The runnin of gears at high speed necessarily pro uces noise and wear which are undesirable and it is obviously expedient to reduce the speed of the gears as much as possible. This is accomplished in the form of construction herein shownby positively drivin one extreme member of the lanetary or di erential gear, taking power rom the other extreme member and driving the intermediatemember at s a variable speed. Thus when the car is driven direct, the intermediate member and positively driven member both rotate at the speed of the engine and as the car is slowed down the intermediate member, which has a variable speed moves slower and slower, instead of faster and faster as in the case just described. As a result, the desired object is 1 accomplished with the least possible movement of the gears and consequently with less wear, noise and trouble than in the forms discussed.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of construction of my im-A proved device, without departingl from the spirit of my invention, and I do not intend therefore, to limit myself to the specific form herein shown and described.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-` A 1. The combination with a planetary-gear, of means for taking power from one extreme pinion thereof, means to drive the other extreme pinion at a speed not exceeding the speed of the prime mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at a variable speed, and means for positively preventing relative rotation between the extreme pinion to which power is applied and the intermediate inion-carrying member when moving at su stantially equal speeds.

2. The combination with a planetary-gear,

of means for taking power from one extreme pinion thereof, means to drive-the other extreme pinion at a speed not exceeding the speed of the prime mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at a variable speed, decreasing from a speed e ual to the maximum speed of the extreme pinion to which power is applied, and means for positively preventing relative rotation between the extreme pinion to which .power is applied and the intermediate pinion-carrying member when moving at substantially equal speeds.

3. The combination with a planetary-gear, of means for taking power from one extreme pinion thereof, means to drive the other extreme pinion at the speed of the prime mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at variable speeds, and means for positively preventing relative rotation between the two driven members when moving at substantially equal speeds.

4. The combination with a planetary-gear, of means for taking power from one extreme member thereof, means to drive the other extreme member at the speed of the prime mover and to drive the intermediate pinioncarrying member at a variable speed decreasing from the speed of the extreme pin- Q ion to which power is applied, and means for positively preventing relative rotation between the two driven members when moving at substantially equal speeds.

5. The combination with a planetary-gear, of means for taking power from one extreme pinion thereof, and for driving the other extreme pinion at a speed not exceeding the speed of the prime mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at a variable speed. and means for positively preventing relative rotation between two members of the planetary gear when moving at equal speeds.

6. The combination with a planetary-gear, of means for taking power from one extreme pinion thereof, means for driving the other extreme pinion at a. speed not exceeding the speed of the prime mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member' at a variable speed decreasing lfrom a speed equal to the maximum of the extreme pinion to which power is applied, and means for positively preventing relative rotation between two members of the planetary-gear when moving at substantially equal speeds.

7. The combination with a planetary-gear, of means for taking power from one extreme-pinion thereof, means for driving the other eXtreme pinion at substantially the speed of the prime mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at a variable speed, and means for positively preventing relative rotation between two members of the planetary-gear when moving at equal speeds.

8. The combination with a planetary-gear, of means for taking power from one extreme pinion thereof, means for driving the other eXtreme pinion at the speed of the prime mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at a variable speed, which decreases from the speed of the eX- treme pinion to which power is applied, and means for positively preventing relative rotation between two members of the planetary-gear when moving at equal speeds.

9. The combination with a planetary-gear, of means for takingpower from one extreme pinion thereof, means for driving the other extreme pinion ata speed not exceeding the speed of the prime-'mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at al variable speed and means for positively preventing relative rotation between the eX- treme pinion to which power is applied and `the intermediate pinion-carrying member when moving at substantiallyequal speeds, and means for disconnecting the driving means vfrom the intermediate pinion-carrying member simultaneously therewith.

l0. The `combination with -a planetarygear, of means for taking power from one extreme pinion thereof, means for driving the other extreme pinion at a speed not exceeding the speed of the prime-mover, and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at a variable speed decreasing from a speed equal to the maximum speed of the extreme pinion to which power is applied, and means for positively preventing relative movement between the eXtreme pinion to which power is applied and the intermediate pinion-carrying member, and means for simultaneously disconnecting the driving means vfrom the intermediate pinioncarrying member.

1l. The combination with a planetarygear, of means for taking power from one extreme pinion thereof, means for driving the other eXtreme pinion at. the speed of the primemover and for driving the intermediate pinion carrying member at variable speeds, means for positively preventing relative movement between the two driven members of the planetary-gear 'when moving at substantially equal speeds, and means for 'simultaneously disconnecting the driving means from the intermediate pinion-carrying member.

12. The combination-with a planetary-gear and means for taking-.power from one eX- treme pinion thereof, of means for driving the other` extreme pinion at the speed of the prime-'mover and for driving the intermediate pinion carrying member at variable speeds decreasing from the speed of ethe extreme pinion to which power is applied, means for positively preventing relative rotation between the two driven members when moving at substantially equal speeds, and means for simultaneously disconnecting the driving means from the intermediate pinioncarrying member.

13. The combination with a planetarygear, of means for taking power from an eX- treme pinion thereof, meansfor driving the other eXtreme pinion at a speed not exceeding the speed of the prime-mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at a variable speed and devices for simultaneously preventing relative movement between two members of the planetary-gear when moving at equal speeds and for disconnecting the driving means from the intermediate pinion-carrying member. 14. The combination with a planetarygear, of means for taking power from one eX- treme pinion thereof, of means for vdriving the other extreme pinion at a speed not eX- ceeding the speed of the prime-mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at a variable speed decreasing from a speed equal to the maxim of the speed of the extreme pinion to which power is applied, means for positively preventing-relative rotation between two members of the planetary-gear when moving at substantially equal speeds and means for simultaneouslyv disconnecting the driving means from the intermediate pinion-carrying member.l

v15. The combination with a planetarygear, of means for takin power from. an eX- treme pinion thereof, oi means for driving the, other eXtreme pinion positively at the speed of the prime-mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at a variable speed, means for positively preventing relative rotation between two members of the planetary-gear when moving at equal.

speeds and for simultaneously disconnecting the driving means from the intermediate pinion-carrying member. d v

16. The combination. with a planetarygear, of means for taking power from one eX- treme pinion thereof, means for drivin the other extreme pinion at the speed o Atheprime-mover and for driving the intermediate pinion-carrying member at a variable speed decreasing from the speed of the eX- treme pinion to which power is applied, means for positively preventing relatlve rotation between two members of the planetary-gear when moving at equal speeds, and

for simultaneously disconnecting the drivingv means from the intermediate pinion-carrying member.

17. The combination with adrivingand a driven shaft and a planetary-gear having its said shafts, of a friction cone loose onthe driving shaft and secured to the intermediate pinion-carryin member of the planetarygear, a counters aft adapted to be driven by the driving shaft, a friction pinion movable on the countersh'aft and adapted to enga e the friction cone, and means for positive y engaging said cone with the driving-shaft to secure a positive drive.

18. The combination with a driving and a driven shaft and a planetary-gear havin its tvvo extreme pinions respectivel secure to said shafts, of a friction cone oose on the pinion-carrying member of. the planetarygear, a countershaft adapted to be driven by the driving shaft, a friction pinion movable on the driving shaft and adapted to engage the friction cone, means for positively engagingsaid cone with the driving-shaft to secure a positive drive, and means for simultaneo usly disconnecting the countershaft from the driving-shaft. y

HANS T. HANSEN. In presence of- 4 R. SCHAEFER, L. KIRKLAND.

two extreme pinions respectively secured to 1 driving shaft and secured to the intermediate 15 

